Folding chair



Jan. 23, 1940. w. c. RASTETTER FOLDING CHAIR Filed June 18, 1937 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 23, 1940. w. c. RASTETTER 2,188,207

" FOLDING CHAIR 2 Sheets-Sht 2 Filed June 18, 1937 INVENTOR.

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Patented Jan. 23, 1940 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE V 2,188,207 g a FOLDING CHAIR.

William Cl. Rastet ter, Fort Wayne, Ind.

"Application June 18,1937, Serial No. 148,993

' 1 Claim.

This invention relates to folding chairs of that typein which the back and rear legs of the chair are contiguous and constitute a rear frame, and

the'seat and forelegs of the chair and the linkage connecting the seat, forelegs andthe rear' together 50- arranged that when the chair is unfolded the parts" 'thereof are held rigidly in unfolded position. I Another object is to provide a folding chair having a rear frame affording a back and rear legs for the chairyand a foreleg "structure that has connection withthe rear frame by linkage so formed as to receive therein the forelegs when the chair is folded, and also afford the sole support for the seat.

A further object is to provide a folding chair having a rear frame constituting assembled back and rear legs for the chair, and a foreleg assemblage connectedwith the rear frame by seatsupporting members pivoted to the foreleg assemblage and rear frame and so constitued as to receive therein the forelegs when the chair is folded.

Also another object is to provide a chair having folding parts and connecting means therefor, and a locking means adapted to yieldingly hold the folding parts both in folded and unfolded positions.

And an important object of the invention is to provide a folding chair, the folding parts of which are constituted of separate assemblages of members connected together and providing support for a seat.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will appear in the following description.

An illustrative embodiment of the invention in a preferred form is shown in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a perspective View of a folding chair in which the invention is embodied, the chair appearing in tilted position;

Fig. 2 is a. transverse section through one of the seat-supporting links for the chair, the section being on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1;

- Fig. 3 is a fragmentary vertical section of the upper part of the chair in folded position; and

Fig. 4 is another fragmentary view of the upper part of the chair as it appears partially collapsed.

The illustrative embodiment of the invention consists of a folding chair that has a rear frame assemblage of parts including side members I spaced apart and connected together by crosspieces 2 and 3. Also, there is provided abackrest 4 secured to the cross-pieces 3, and these members constitute the rear frame of the chair.

A foreleg assemblage is provided consisting of forelegs 5 connected together by a cross-piece 6. The rear frame assemblage and the foreleg as semblage are connected together by seat-supporting links 1, one at each side of the chair. The rear end of each link is upturned and connected with the rear frame by a pivot 8 upon which the link hinges. The forward end of each link is connected with the upper end of the corresponding leg of the foreleg assembly by means of a pivot 9 so that the foreleg assembly has hinged relation with said links. Thus, when the links are folded upwardly toward the rear frame, the forelegs are folded with respect to the links.

The links are designed essentially to form hinged connections between the rear frame and foreleg assemblages and to provide sole support for a seat-plate it that is directly secured thereon.

Preferably, each link I is formed of sheet metal shaped as a channel (Fig. 2) to provide inner and outer parallel flanges |l--l2 respectively, the innermost flange of each link having made therein a longitudinal guide-slot l3 the forward end of which terminates with an abrupt upturned continuation l4 constituting a detent terminus. Also, each link has made therein adjacent the rear end of the guide-slot a latchopening [5 hereinafter referred to. The rear frame and front leg assemblages are connected together, preferably, at each side of the chair by a corresponding toggle constituted of two arms l6 and I! that are pivotally connected together by a bolt I8. The toggle arms are disposed respectively upon opposite sides of the corresponding flange II and their connecting bolt [8 passes loosely through the guide-slot [3 in which it has guided movement and operative engagement in the terminus l4 when. the chair is completely unfolded. The outer ends of the toggle arms [6 and I! are connected respectively with the rear frame and foreleg assemblage by means. of corresponding pivots l9 and 20 so that during the folding and unfolding of the chair, the bolts l8 slide in the guide-slots I3, thus the foreleg structure and the seat-supporting links are definitely guided throughout their movements relative to p the rear frame assemblage.

On each arm [6 of said toggles there is pro-- vided a protuberance 2| that functions as a latch when the chair is unfolded and also when the chair is folded. The latches are projected into the corresponding guide-slots [3 due to lateral. pressure of the toggle arms l6 that are held closely against the inner faces of the flanges H by the bolts l8 which connect them with the corresponding toggle arms I1. In this manner when the chair is unfolded, the bolts l8 move into the termini [4 while the latches 2| are sprung into the guide-slots and thus yieldingly retain the chair in its unfolded position. When the chair is folded the toggle bolts move in the guide-slots to the rear ends thereof, whereupon, the latches 2| are sprung into the latch-openings l5 and thus the folding parts of the chair are yieldingly held in folded position.

The links I are here disclosed in a preferred form which may be varied in many ways without departure from the spirit of the invention. In the preferred form the links have flanges, the outermost of which afford finish to the sides of the chair while the innermost slotted flanges afford guidance for the toggles and latching engagement with the rear toggle arms, both when the chair is moved to its folded and unfolded positions. v

A distinguishing feature of the invention is in the links 1 that connect the rear frame assemblage and the foreleg assemblage, and are moved by action of the toggles as thechair is folded or unfolded, and serve as the sole support for the seat plate ll] of the chair. In the present instance, the seat plate 10 is without a frame and receives support on and only by the links 1 to which it is directly secured.

The seat-plate III has secured along its front edge upon the underside thereof a cleat 22 that affords strength to the seat-plate and also provides a grip for the operator as when manipulating the seat from one of its positions to the other. The ends of the cleat terminate at points so as to pass between the top of the legs of the foreleg structure when the chair is folded, and the cross-piece 6 that connects the forelegs 5 is located in a plane spaced from the upper ends of the legs 5 a sufficient distance as to afford freedom for the operators hand as when folding or unfolding the chair.

What I claim is:

A folding chair having an assemblage of parts constituting a rear frame providing a back and rear legs for said chair, a group of other parts constituting a foreleg assemblage, links for the sides of the chair hingedly connected at their opposite ends with said rear frame and the foreleg assemblage, said links having longitudinal guide-slots'the forward ends of which have upturned continuations constituting termini, the rear portions of said links having latch-openings therein, toggles for each side of the chair consisting of arms pivotally connected together by corresponding bolts that extend through the guide-slots in said links respectively, said toggles having pivotal connections respectively with the rear frameand the foreleg assemblage, one of the arms of each toggle having a protuberance constituting a latch that has engagement in the slot or the latch-opening in the corresponding link accordingly when the chair is unfolded or folded, adapted to yieldingly retain the folding parts of the chair structure in their unfolded and folded positions, and a seat-plate secured directly on and supported by said links.

WILLIAM C. RASTETTER. 

